Top Navigation Menu

Reopening of Food Businesses

As we approach the 5th of May, many food business operators are preparing contingency plans regarding how they can begin reopening- even if only partially; once restrictions allow them to do so. In light of the Covid-19 outbreak, there has been an abundance of guidance issued to food businesses regarding how to ensure the safety of staff and customers. Here at the Food Safety Company, we have been working tirelessly to guarantee food businesses can hit the ground running when they are advised that reopening is a viable option. We have compiled a number of checklists based on our re-opening procedures to ensure when you chose to reopen, you are doing everything in your power to maintain safety throughout the business. These lists are a product of a co-operative effort between the Food Safety Company and a variety of food businesses which have stayed operational through these challenging times, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes. They have been compiled based upon the methods we have found most functional whilst helping these businesses maintain both food safety and infection control standards.

For your business, completing these checklists will give you peace of mind that you are maintaining the highest safety standard. Ranging from the examination and modification of existing procedures to the development of entirely new processes, these checklists will ensure all aspects of the business are covered, from goods inwards, to kitchen and production, to sale and distribution. They will focus on what is required and expected of staff, to what controls are mandatory for the business itself to function. Covering essential areas such as medical questionnaires, temperature checks and social distancing, the aim of these checklists is to distil confidence in both yourselves and your consumers, that health and safety is still a major priority and has not been forgotten about. As always, the Food Safety Company is available should you wish for any assistance in implementing these new measures.

In addition to this, you may find yourself in a position where you need to almost ‘reinvent’ the scope of your business in order to comply with government guidelines. If this is the case, we are here to aid with this transition as well. Whether you need a new food safety management system (or an extension on an existing system), a site visit by a consultant to assess the operations and their effectiveness or training for your team members, we are here to help. We are also proud to offer all food businesses an opportunity to access to our Hygiene Assured agreement, a new innovative service which scientifically validates the hygiene standards within a business. The 5-step process provides reassurance to businesses and their customers that they are maintaining the highest hygiene standards through the issuing of certification and consequent Hygiene Assured Mark.

Furthermore, alongside our wide range of individual online training courses, we will be offering face-to-face online training through video conferencing. This adds an alternate dimension to the training, allowing for personalisation and feedback, without compromising on safety. This novel training method would be perfect for businesses to utilise for their staff before resuming activity.

The decision to reopen a food business is not one which should be taken lightly, is it important that you consider the practicality of possibly running with reduced staff and functionality. For example, as a restaurant re-opening solely for take-away and delivery, are you prepared to put sufficient measures in place to ensure continuous infection control whilst simultaneously maintaining high standards of food safety?

If any of these are areas of interest or those which you are unsure of, feel free to contact us on 021 4355917 where we can discuss the best options for your businesses, employees and consumers.